{"id":638583,"date":"2025-12-17T17:45:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T17:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/638583\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T17:45:17","slug":"the-sentimental-story-behind-queen-elizabeths-favorite-christmas-brooch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/638583\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sentimental Story Behind Queen Elizabeth\u2019s Favorite Christmas Brooch"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>Queen Elizabeth II wore her beloved Duchess of Cambridge\u2019s Pearl Pendant Brooch for five Christmas broadcasts.<\/li>\n<li>The diamond and pearl piece dates back to the 1870s, when Princess Augusta debuted it in a portrait.<\/li>\n<li>Elizabeth inherited it from her grandmother, Queen Mary. In 2022, she loaned it to Kate Middleton.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_2-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s legendary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/new-cartier-exhibition-queen-elizabeth-pink-diamond-brooch-11713634\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brooch collection<\/a> brought the sparkle around the holidays. The royal\u2019s signature jewels dazzled year-round, but there was something special about the pieces she chose to don for Christmas festivities\u2014including her annual Christmas broadcast.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_4-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> During the holiday season, Elizabeth leaned on her favorite pieces from her coveted jewelry box and the royal vaults, often bringing out heirlooms that paid a sentimental tribute to those not present for the year\u2019s celebrations. For example, the Queen wore the dazzling heart-shaped Cullinan V Brooch while recording her 1974, 1975, 1999, and 2008 Christmas messages, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecourtjeweller.com\/2022\/12\/queen-elizabeth-iis-favorite-christmas-brooches.html\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Court Jeweller<\/a>. Hewn from the world\u2019s largest diamond, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/queen-elizabeth-cullinan-iii-iv-brooch-worth-11838661\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cullinan V<\/a> once belonged to Elizabeth\u2019s grandmother, Queen Mary, and has since been worn by Queen Camilla.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_6-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Among the other priceless baubles Elizabeth chose for her yearly messages were the Pearl Trefoil Brooch, the striking Jardine Star Brooch, and the romantic Grima Ruby Brooch. Yet her favorite may very well have been the (relatively) understated Duchess of Cambridge\u2019s Pearl Pendant Brooch. Named after Elizabeth\u2019s great-great-grandmother, Princess Augusta of Cambridge, the piece appeared in five of the Queen\u2019s Christmas broadcasts.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_8-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Here\u2019s everything to know about Queen Elizabeth\u2019s favorite Christmas brooch, the Cambridge Pearl Pendant.\n<\/p>\n<p>  The brooch has been in the royal family since the 19th century.  <\/p>\n<p> Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel (1797 &#8211; 1889), circa 1820.<\/p>\n<p>Hulton Archive\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_14-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> While its exact provenance is unknown, the Duchess of Cambridge\u2019s Pearl Pendant Brooch is known to have originated sometime before 1877. That\u2019s the year it first appeared in an oil painting of an 80-year-old Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, done by artist Heinrich von Angeli. The painting is part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct.uk\/collection\/404039\/augusta-duchess-of-cambridge-1797-1889\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Royal Collection Trust<\/a> (RCT), with its official description mentioning \u201ca jewelled diamond and pearl drop brooch\u201d clasped around the princess\u2019s neck.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_16-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> In Hugh Roberts\u2019s authorized history of Elizabeth\u2019s jewelry collection, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Queens-Diamonds-Hugh-Roberts\/dp\/1905686382\/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=183606417542&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AjkMb3Gg2Geb8fhypkmWbw.da83vQL5AVMJ1zJKK81v-6gHiCN_CQbMB00jE6VlFeg&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;hvadid=779537543682&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvexpln=0&amp;hvlocphy=1014127&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvocijid=1499087743876323301--&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=1499087743876323301&amp;hvtargid=kwd-314755602896&amp;hydadcr=22594_13730657_8133&amp;keywords=the+queen%27s+diamonds+hugh+roberts&amp;mcid=445f4a481c7a311e97ab4df56cc6089c&amp;qid=1765919079&amp;sr=8-1\" data-component=\"amazon\" data-source=\"affiliate\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Queen\u2019s Diamonds<\/a>, he theorizes that the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch was likely created by crown jeweler Garrard\u2014the same house which would create Princess Diana\u2019s iconic sapphire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/queen-camilla-185-year-old-brooch-german-state-visit-11861206\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">engagement ring<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p>  It features a large pearl surrounded by diamonds, with a detachable pearl pendant.  <\/p>\n<p> Queen Elizabeth II at her Christmas broadcast in 1971, wearing the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch.<\/p>\n<p>Hulton Archive\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_20-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Royals love their pearls, and Queen Elizabeth was no exception. Alongside her signature pearl necklaces, the late monarch favored brooches and tiaras with pearl elements. The Duchess of Cambridge\u2019s Pearl Pendant Brooch features two pearls\u2014a large central one flanked by approximately 14 diamonds, and a pearl pendant which can be removed.<\/p>\n<p>When Elizabeth first wore the piece during a Christmas broadcast, in 1971, she paired it with a three-stand pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_22-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Per UK jeweler <a href=\"https:\/\/crisscut.stevenstone.co.uk\/royals\/25-of-the-queens-most-valuable-brooches\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Steven Stone<\/a>, it&#8217;s worth an estimated \u00a380,000 (about $106,000).\n<\/p>\n<p>  Elizabeth\u2019s grandmother, Queen Mary, wore the brooch to Prince Charles\u2019s christening.  <\/p>\n<p> Queen Mary wears the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch as a necklace in 1948.<\/p>\n<p>Hulton-Deutsch Collection\/CORBIS\/Corbis via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_28-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The brooch\u2019s namesake and original owner, Princess Augusta, passed the jewel to her daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide\u2014although it\u2019s unclear if she bequeathed it before or after her death in 1889. From Mary Adelaide, it passed down to her only daughter, Princess Mary of Teck, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womanandhome.com\/life\/royal-news\/the-romantic-history-behind-the-duchess-of-cambridge-brooch-the-item-worn-by-kate-middleton-in-her-official-portrait\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Women &amp; Home<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> Princess Mary Adelaide wearing the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch circa 1885.<\/p>\n<p>Hulton Archive\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_31-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Mary of Teck would become Queen, and Elizabeth\u2019s paternal grandmother. Notably, she wore the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch as a necklace at great-grandson Prince Charles\u2019s christening in 1948, along with three delicate strings of pearls. Five years later, upon Mary\u2019s death, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/princess-anne-diamond-sapphire-brooch-queen-elizabeth-8741652\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brooch<\/a> went to Elizabeth.\n<\/p>\n<p>  Kate Middleton wears it in her first official joint portrait with Prince William.  <\/p>\n<p> Artist Jamie Coreth beside his joint portrait of the Duke &amp; Duchess Of Cambridge in June 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Edwards &#8211; WPA Pool\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_35-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> A few months before Queen Elizabeth\u2019s death, she loaned her beloved pearl brooch to granddaughter-in-law Princess Catherine. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/kate-middleton-brooch-trump-state-visit-11811714\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kate Middleton<\/a> wears the piece in her and husband Prince William\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/royals\/kate-middleton-prince-william-visit-namesake-region-cambridge\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first official joint portrait<\/a>, per People. The Fitzwilliam Museum unveiled the painting in June 2022. It hasn\u2019t been publicly seen since, but may one day make another appearance\u2014perhaps during the most wonderful time of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Queen Elizabeth II wore her beloved Duchess of Cambridge\u2019s Pearl Pendant Brooch for five Christmas broadcasts. The diamond&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":638584,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[5105,7710,519,448],"class_list":{"0":"post-638583","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-royal","9":"tag-royal-families","10":"tag-royal-family","11":"tag-royals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115736158056054699","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=638583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/638584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=638583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=638583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=638583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}